Spitfire flyover.

[KennyN]

For anyone wanting to hear a proper engine there is a Spitfire flying over various NHS locations in Scotland today , it should be right over ma hoose around 14:14 today.

Route and times below if you fancy having a wee look / listen :

spitfire by Kenny Niven, on Flickr

K

 

[togthecat]

Enjoy, that Merlin has to be one of the most emotive sounds I have ever heard.

 

[anglaslt]

Great. Just told my daughter who is in Dundee

 

[Deleted member 150136]

as long as the watching gatherings are 6 or less it should be acceptable

 

[KennyN]

Enjoy, that Merlin has to be one of the most emotive sounds I have ever heard.

It is , when i worked at RR Hillington we still had two test beds capable of testing the Merlins. It was our job as millwrights to set up the beds prior to them being delivered for testing. Standing next to one as it warmed up , without silencers, was an absolute privilege.

If i could turn back time i would have purchased all the engine spares when the closed the testbeds , i would have been able to retire by now on the proceeds.

I remember making ashtrays from Merlin pistons and prybars from the engine studs as there were spares lying around everywhere in A Block.

K

 

[BTB 500]

I remember making ashtrays from Merlin pistons

I've got one of those - it came from my grandfather, who was in the RAF during the war.

 

[GeeJayW]

Flew over our house a few weeks ago... As mentioned already, glorious noise.

 

[BTB 500]

For anyone wanting to hear a proper engine

[NERD]The 'NHS Spitfire' is a photographic reconnaissance (that's why it's blue) Mk 11. Those had a special version of the Merlin with different supercharger gearing for better performance at high altitude.[/NERD]

 

[Deleted member 65149]

A couple of years ago I had the honour of briefly flying behind a Spitfire when I was piloting a Tiger Moth from Duxford. My dribble nearly sprayed my instructor sitting behind me!

 

[Lennox]

Had a spitfire circle my parents house in the country one afternoon. About 3-4 times, could see the pilot. Think he was wasting time to do a fly over Rolls Royce in East Kilbride. All closed down now.

Anyway will listen out later!!!!!

 

[KennyN]

Had a spitfire circle my parents house in the country one afternoon. About 3-4 times, could see the pilot. Think he was wasting time to do a fly over Rolls Royce in East Kilbride. All closed down now.

Anyway will listen out later!!!!!

If that was the early 90`s then it may have been to commemorate 50 years of the RR factory being opened , we had an open day at Hillington that day with a low level fly past straight down the main factory road , certainly made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up especially as the sound was amplified between the buildings.
K

 

[anglaslt]

Great. Just told my daughter who is in Dundee

She couldn't see it but she did hear it. In her words "it sounded really really nice", but then she likes loud engines.

 

[Chrishazle]

At Duxford a few years back there were 3 Merlins on test stands, and one by one they were fired up. The sound of all 3 running together was mind blowing!

About a mile up the road from us the farmer has his own airstrip (former WW2 advance base for a US Mustang squadron), quite often a friend in a Spitfire visits and they play over our village. He sold his Spit to buy a Mustang (which crashed a few years later during a Duxford display) and now "only" has his Harvard, a Russian WW2 fighter and I think a biplane to play with. plus of course we're not too far from Headcorn airfield so often see stuff from there.

Many years ago I'd been to a Model T Club outing in Lincolnshire where we'd visited the farm where they have a Lancaster that they taxi past you with all 4 engines running - and you're very close to it. Driving home we were just by the airfield below RAF Cranwell training school and here's the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight landing and going almost directly overhead - Lanc, Spit and Hurricane. Needless to say we stopped and jumped out of the car to enjoy the moment!

 

[Ted]

My ashtray.
I was told it was made from an aircraft radial engine.

 

[23 Romeo Tango]

It was supposed to land at Teesside airport yesterday at 11:20.
I'm currently on a course and the venue looks out onto the runway, so we would have had a decent experience of it as they were preparing the apron 30 yards away, but a few minutes before it was expected to land we got a message saying it was cancelled due to bad weather. Back to work Guys.

 

[mattc]

A few years ago I was working the Paris air show where we had a chalet overlooking the apron to entertain clients. All afternoon we had flying displays of the usual tat (F16s, Rafales, F35s, A380,A400M---you get the idea). The displays are quickly ignored and are just noise in the background. As we were leaving via the trade exit at the end of the runway about 4 o'clock myself and a bunch of other exhibitors just stopped in our tracks...that noise sounds familiar you can see everyone thinking....and up goes a Spitfire. Thoughts of leaving early to try and miss the horrendous Parisian traffic evaporate. No one is going anywhere. Utter joy to watch and listen to.

There seem to be 2 other aircraft that illicit that sort of response; the Harrier and the Vulcan. Funny how it's not the anodyne modern stuff that engender an emotional response...in 50 years time few people will be able to distinguish a Eurofighter from Gripen etc but they will still know a Spitfire because of that profile and that engine note.

 

[D-18]

Brings back memories!

My uncle was credited with bringing down three German aircraft in WW2. He was probably the worst mechanic in the Luftwaffe .....

 

[MCFastybloke]

Its a right noise, Was at Ladybower when both Lancasters were flying over.

 

[GeeJayW]

I used to work on a military airfield and remember the last time a Lighting took-off from that runway. Pretty much everyone working the flight line that day were out watching as it roared down the concrete and then stood on its tail for a typically impressive vertical climb-out.

I also remember a very impressive F-15 take off from the same period.

The Spitfire however, is a real icon.

 

[Wearsthefoxhat]

Always a great sound, luckily enough to have a two seater Spitfire flying from our local airfield most days at the moment. Just so nice too. Lovely machines.